Latest news
Largely positive response to office return, law firm bosses report
The boss of a Cheshire law firm has said the “constant theme” of recent appraisals is that “people want to come back to the office”, with another saying his firm has reversed plans to downsize its office.
Remote negotiations “speeding up law firm mergers”
Remote communication during Covid has sped up law firm mergers, rather than acting as a hindrance, according to the chairman of the Association of Law Firm Merger Advisers.
Court rejects appeal from solicitor struck off for gross overcharging
The High Court has rejected an appeal from a solicitor struck off after charging an estate where he was sole executor over eight times the reasonable remuneration to which he was entitled under the will.
High Court upholds judgment on law firms’ unpaid fees
The High Court has rejected a challenge to a judgment in default obtained by two law firms whose retainers were terminated by a Swiss company, which then failed to pay them £500,000 in fees combined.
Scottish solicitors to receive Covid cut to cost of practising
The Law Society of Scotland has again reduced the cost of practising in recognition of the impact of Covid-19 on its members – in contrast with its counterpart in England and Wales.
FCA launches crackdown on claims management ‘phoenixing’
The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a crackdown on ‘phoenixing’ involving claims management companies specialising in financial services.
App launches with huge range of legal help to consumers and SMEs
An app for SMEs to diagnose and get guidance on their legal problems has now launched a consumer version that helps users find and book a lawyer, and is integrated with government services.
Oxford firm embraces employee ownership in response to Covid
A 40-strong law firm based in Oxford has become the latest to embrace employee ownership, with the firm’s managing director saying she was inspired to act by how staff rallied during Covid.
CLC to introduce ‘polluter pays’ to cover cost of Legal Ombudsman
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is set to become the first regulator to introduce a ‘polluter pays’ element to how it recovers the cost of the Legal Ombudsman from those it regulates.
Jail for conman who cloned CMC and sold fake PI claims to law firm
A man has been jailed for orchestrating fraudulent motor insurance claims and cloning a claims management company to pass them to a firm of solicitors in return for referral fees.
Blog
Reorientation in the AI era must begin with the client
Much of the discussion about AI in the legal industry focuses on technology: which tools to adopt and which tasks might get automated. But this misses the deeper story.
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
